Typhoon Saudel Okinawa travel update: flights and ferries

File photo from December 2011: Mk2010 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. It shows Naha Airport during normal operations, not conditions during Typhoon Saudel.

Current status, checked at 1:00 PM Japan Standard Time on August 25, 2026: Typhoon Saudel is disrupting Okinawa travel. JAL lists Naha, Kumejima, Kitadaito, Minamidaito and several Amami airports among the affected airports for August 25. ANA has opened fee-free changes and refunds for eligible Naha flights from noon on August 25 through the morning of August 27. Tokashiki Village cancelled every ferry and high-speed boat sailing on August 25 and closed Aharen and Tokashiku beaches.

The storm itself is still moving. The final NWS Guam advisory, issued early August 25, placed Saudel about 335 miles east of Okinawa with 115 mph maximum sustained winds and expected it to pass near Okinawa Tuesday night or early Wednesday. That advisory is a storm-position reference, not a Japanese local warning. Reopen the Japan Meteorological Agency typhoon map and Okinawa's official visitor notice for the latest local position.

The short answer: check the operating airline before going to the airport, and check the ferry operator before leaving an island hotel. An open airport does not mean your flight is operating. Calm weather in Naha does not mean the sea route to Tokashiki, Zamami or another island is safe.

This page is a travel decision guide, not an emergency warning. Flight, ferry, road and attraction status can change within hours.

Typhoon Saudel travel status at a glance

Which flights are affected?

JAL's 1:00 PM update covers different airports on different days. On August 25 it lists Kikaijima, Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabu, Yoron, Kitadaito, Minamidaito, Naha and Kumejima. On August 26 the list also includes Miyako, Tarama, Ishigaki and Yonaguni. JAL says Kitadaito and Minamidaito airports are closed all day on August 25.

That list describes airports where disruption is expected. It is not a list of every cancelled flight. Search the flight number on the JAL domestic status page and keep checking until departure.

ANA uses a separate ticket-handling notice. The current fee-free window covers:

The ANA notice allows an eligible reservation to be changed or refunded without a handling fee even if that flight has not been cancelled. It excludes codeshares operated by partner airlines. If the ticket carries an ANA flight number but the booking names another operating carrier, open that carrier's disruption terms too.

International routes are changing as well. HK Express cancelled UO844 from Hong Kong to Okinawa and UO845 from Okinawa to Hong Kong on August 25. It deferred UO824, UO825, UO842 and UO843 to August 27 under replacement flight numbers and published free rebooking or refund conditions for affected passengers. Requests must be made by the original scheduled departure time.

Airlines serving Taiwan also announced cancellations and earlier departures. Those schedules are flight-specific. Do not use another passenger's airline screenshot as evidence for your booking.

What to do before going to Naha Airport

Naha Airport's board is useful, but the operating airline controls your booking, replacement and refund. Work through this order:

1. Open the airline's flight-status page and search the exact operating flight.
2. Read any waiver or ticket-handling notice for the origin, destination and date.
3. Save the cancellation, delay or deferral message.
4. Check whether the ticket was issued by the airline, an agent or a package-tour company.
5. Ask what happens to every sector on the same booking, including the return and onward connection.
6. Confirm checked-bag handling before accepting a different route.
7. Tell the hotel and transfer operator before their no-show deadline.

Do not buy a separate replacement until you know what the first airline will do. A new ticket can leave the original booking unchanged, and separate tickets rarely protect each other when the first flight arrives late.

If the status still says scheduled, check airport transport before leaving. A taxi app, bus or monorail can change service as wind and road conditions deteriorate. Leave only when the flight and a safe route to the terminal are both confirmed.

Ferry cancellations can trap an island itinerary

Ferries often stop before airport operations because exposed sea conditions become unsafe while weather in Naha still looks manageable. Tokashiki Village's live page cancelled all four Marine Liner Tokashiki departures and both Ferry Tokashiki departures on August 25. It also marked both monitored beaches closed.

The operator updates sailing status each morning. A timetable is not proof that the boat will run. Check the date-specific status on the Tokashiki Village page before leaving the hotel or port.

For Zamami, use the village's current vessel page rather than a saved timetable. The Zamami tourism boat guide says weather-cancelled online reservations are automatically refunded, while an international credit-card refund can take up to two months. That rule belongs to the named Zamami booking route. It does not establish the refund process for Tokashiki, a private tour or a hotel.

If you are staying on an outer island and need an international flight from Naha, protect a buffer night on Okinawa's main island when a storm enters the forecast. Once the last ferry is cancelled, a confirmed Naha flight does not solve the missing sea connection.

Should you leave an island early?

This is a timing decision, not a test of bravery. Ask the ferry office and accommodation these questions while a sailing is still available:

• Which departure is currently confirmed?
• Is the high-speed boat more likely to stop before the larger ferry?
• Can the property extend the stay if the return sailing is cancelled?
• Are food, medication, cash access and backup power sufficient for extra nights?
• What happens to the booking if the operator cancels the ferry?

Do not wait for social media to agree on the storm track. The ferry operator controls the sailing, and local officials control shelter and evacuation instructions.

Roads and bridges may close

Okinawa Prefecture published an August 24 warning that several southern and outer-island links may close if the criteria are reached. The notice names Tsumugi Bridge and Tiida Bridge on Kumejima, Aka Bridge in Zamami, Nirai Bridge and Kanai Bridge, and sections of Prefectural Road 86 in Nanjo.

This is a potential-closure notice, not proof that every link is closed now. Check the prefectural update and the local authority immediately before driving. A navigation app may continue to suggest a bridge after officials restrict it.

Avoid coastal viewpoints, sea walls and beaches. Okinawa's official visitor notice tells travelers to stay away from the sea and stop marine recreation during the approach. Wind-driven waves can arrive before the closest part of the storm.

Attraction closures and refunds

JUNGLIA Okinawa and Spa JUNGLIA are closed for all of August 25 and 26. The official notice says guests holding tickets for those dates will receive a refund when they do not request a date change. They do not need to submit an application. Operations on August 27 will be decided after weather and safety checks.

For tickets on other dates, the venue may accept a cancellation when a flight cancellation or major road closure prevents arrival, but it requests evidence such as a cancellation certificate. That exception belongs to JUNGLIA's published terms. Ask every other attraction separately.

Do not assume an indoor attraction will stay open. Staff travel, building checks, power and public warnings can close a venue that appears protected from rain.

Hotels, refunds and travel insurance

An airline cancellation does not automatically cancel a hotel. Contact the property before checkout or the no-show deadline and ask:

1. Can the current stay be extended if the flight or ferry is cancelled?
2. Is the new night available at the same rate?
3. Will a cancelled inbound service qualify for a refund or date change?
4. Which document does the property require?

Keep the answer in writing. Save the airline certificate, ferry status, closure notice, chat transcript and receipts. Travel insurance can depend on the covered reason, when the policy was purchased and whether the provider cancelled first. Contact the insurer before paying for an expensive replacement when possible.

If checkout arrives before the airline decides, ask the hotel about luggage storage and a safe waiting area. Do not wait outdoors or travel to the airport simply to avoid a hotel decision.

If you are already in Okinawa

Use stable power and Wi-Fi to remove avoidable problems:

• charge phones and approved cabin power banks;
• download maps around the hotel, airport and one inland backup route;
• save flight, ferry, hotel and insurance records offline;
• keep medication, water and simple food available as advised locally;
• ask the accommodation where guests should shelter;
• choose one family check-in contact outside Okinawa; and
• keep 110 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance available offline.

Japan's official Safety tips app provides disaster information for visitors. The JNTO Visitor Hotline can help with tourism emergencies in English, Chinese and Korean. Local authorities, the hotel and emergency services remain the sources for immediate safety instructions.

Save these Okinawa status tools before conditions worsen

Our offline maps guide explains what popular navigation apps retain without a connection. The mobile boarding pass guide covers wallet passes, screenshots and moving barcodes.

Keeping flight and ferry updates reachable

A static storm story is out of date as soon as an airline or ferry changes its plan. A Japan Roaming eSIM can provide a separate travel-data line for reopening airline notices, ferry status, maps and hotel messages while the local networks listed for the selected package remain available. The usual SIM can stay in the phone for its normal calls and SMS, subject to the home carrier's charges.

The live Japan catalog returned 43 packages when checked at 1:18 PM Japan time on August 25. Published operator and speed fields vary by package, and some daily plans are not reloadable. Open the selected card for its allowance, validity, operator list, hotspot terms, speed policy and top-up eligibility. Roaming eSIM also publishes a 24/7 support route for product setup and connection help.

That is the practical edge over waiting for an airport SIM counter during a disruption: the profile can be installed on a compatible, unlocked phone before the trip, and support is available without finding an open shop. It is still mobile service. It cannot power a damaged cell site, remove congestion, place a data-only call to emergency services or reopen a road, ferry or airport.

Check whether the phone supports eSIM, read when to install a Roaming eSIM, and estimate maps and messages with the travel data calculator. The Japan eSIM guide owns broad plan selection; this page stays focused on the current storm.

Ten Typhoon Saudel questions travelers are asking

1. Should I fly to Okinawa during Typhoon Saudel?

Only after the operating airline confirms the flight and local authorities have not told travelers to avoid the journey. A scheduled label can change, and a working flight does not guarantee the hotel transfer or island ferry.

2. Is Naha Airport closed?

The airport itself is not the same as an individual flight. JAL and ANA report affected or cancelled flights, but travelers must search their exact service. Do not treat an open terminal as proof that the booking will operate.

3. Can I change an ANA flight before it is cancelled?

Yes, if the reservation falls inside ANA's published eligible airport and time window. The notice allows fee-free changes or refunds regardless of actual flight status. Check who operates a codeshare before acting.

4. What happens to a codeshare flight?

Follow the operating carrier. ANA says partner-operated codeshares are not included in its notice, and JAL says its disruption list does not include codeshares operated by other airlines.

5. Are ferries to Tokashiki cancelled?

All Marine Liner Tokashiki and Ferry Tokashiki sailings were cancelled on August 25. Recheck the village page for the next date because the regular timetable does not establish that a sailing will operate.

6. Should I leave Zamami or another island early?

Consider an earlier confirmed sailing when missing the ferry would endanger an international connection or leave no accommodation. Ask the ferry office and hotel directly. Do not wait until every route is cancelled to build the backup.

7. What should I do if hotel checkout comes before my flight decision?

Ask the hotel about an extension, luggage storage and a safe waiting area before checkout. Confirm the price and cancellation terms in writing. Going to the airport without a confirmed flight can remove a safer option.

8. Will my hotel or attraction refund me?

Policies differ. JUNGLIA published automatic refunds for its August 25 and 26 closures. A hotel, ferry or another attraction can require a separate request and evidence. Save every official cancellation notice.

9. Will taxis, buses and the monorail run?

Service can change with wind, roads and safety checks. Confirm the exact operator shortly before leaving. A car being available in an app does not prove that the complete route is open.

10. Will Roaming eSIM work during the typhoon?

It can use the local network listed for the selected package while that network and its power and backhaul remain available. It cannot guarantee signal during an outage or heavy demand. Save critical records and maps offline.

Recheck flight, ferry, road and attraction updates before traveling in Okinawa. Compare mobile data on the Japan eSIM page.